


Ruination of a Servant

by ElizaStorms



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst, Episode: s04e06 A Servant of Two Masters, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), No Beta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24817999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElizaStorms/pseuds/ElizaStorms
Summary: AU of a Servant of Two Masters. Arthur isn't useless and goes around the boulders after Merlin and the mercenaries. He doesn't like what he sees and is determined to save Merlin from Morgana.
Relationships: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 194





	Ruination of a Servant

**Author's Note:**

> So it always bugged me that Arthur didn't freaking go around the boulders.. like yeah it would take him a bit but he's "the best tracker of Camelot" after all of that you go back to the castle instead of trying to save your servant? I don't believe it. So this came to mind

As the boulders fill the crevice separating Arthur from Merlin he panics, screaming out Merlin's name. He knows he has little time and runs up the stairs leading out of the crevice, just in time to see the mercenaries head back the way they came, dragging his servant behind them.  As quickly and quietly as he can, he follows them. They didn’t kill Merlin immediately, which means whoever they are working for wants them alive. As he is following behind he sees his uncle go up to the lead mercenary.

“Is this it? Where are the other captured men?” Agravaine asks nastily.

“There was a rockfall, we were lucky to get this one.”

“Oh, Morgana will just love this” Agravaine replies sarcastically. He makes his way through the trees. As Arthur follows, seething at his uncle's betrayal, he can see them make their way up a hill to an open clearing, tossing Merlin face down on the ground the mercenaries slowly back away as Morgana walks down the hill to Agravaine and Merlin.

“You lost how many men? And you bring me how many men? Or should I say, how many servants”

Arthur watches in horror as Morgana kicks Merlin's prone body. He grits his teeth, knowing he stands no chance if he gives away his position.

“Arthur was within our grasp,” Agravaine replies

“Oh, and that's supposed to make me feel better?”

“The rockfall was hardly our fault. I must show my presence in Camelot. The old physician already suspects me.”

“Oh, Gaius is shrewd, you should take care. After all, if your true nature's revealed, I don't know what use I'll have for you.” Morgan states sarcastically, raising her eyebrow.

“Morgana…” Agravaine starts towards Morgana, almost beseeching before stopping and turning towards Merlin's body “I’ll dispatch this servant.” He says, drawing his sword as if to strike. As Agravaine goes to stab his sword into Merlin Arthur tenses, prepared to give up his position to save his manservant.

“You will do no such thing. Arthur is strangely fond of the boy. He could prove useful. Very useful, indeed.” Morgana walks off with a smile, two mercenaries reaching down to drag Merlin's body after her.

_*Oh gods, this is my fault. Merlin is at Morgana's mercy because of me*_ Arthur thinks morosely, before leaving his hiding spot, following the trail left behind by Morgan’s men. 

Arthur makes his way towards the hovel Morgana and her men had entered. He finds a window that he can peek in and he proceeds to do so after hearing voices inside. He can see Morgana ordering Merlin to be strung up by his wrists to a rope before dismissing the men. Arthur watches his sister magically fill a bucket with water before throwing it on Merlin, causing his manservant to wake up with a gasp, shaking and wilding turning on the spot, trying to get his feet under him.

“Good morning,” Morgana says snidely.

“Is it?” Merlin says as he looks at her cheekily. From Arthur's position, he can see Merlin's wide eyes filled with fear and pain. His hand goes towards his sword, knowing it would be suicide to rush in, but not taking any risks to his manservant's life.

“Oh, don't be like that. We have a lot of catching up to do. After all, I haven't seen you since you condemned my sister to a slow and painful death, thwarted my plans to take over Camelot, and forced me to live in a hovel.”

_*He did what???*_ Arthur thinks to himself. _*But how? When??? He’s just a simple servant??*_

“Couldn't do me a favour, could you? Let Arthur know he still thinks of me as an underachiever, but I'm quite proud of those accomplishments. I can die happy.” Merlin grins at Morgana, the fear leaving his eyes.

_*NO!*_ Merlin couldn’t die. Arthur wasn’t sure what Morgana was talking about, but he was certain that Merlin could not die. He didn’t know what he would do without the cheeky manservant.

“Oh, you're not going to die. Oh, no. I'm not going to make it that easy.”

_*Oh gods... I’m going to need help*_ Arthur made a decision. Morgana wasn’t going to kill Merlin right away, so Arthur should have enough time to get his knights to help. * _please Merlin, just hold on_ *

Arthur slowly made his way away from Morgana’s hovel, it was only about an hour to Camelot from there and Arthur knew he had to hurry, but didn’t want to tip off his sister that he knew where she was.

Halfway back to the castle he ran into Leon and the other knights.

“Nice to see you too,” Arthur says exasperated. “But we don’t have time, Merlin was captured by Morgana’s men, I know where he is and I need you all to come with me to rescue him. I don’t know how much longer he can hold out.”

“What are we standing around here for then? Lead the way princess” Gwaine yelled starting to walk in the direction Arthur had come. 

As they made their way to the hovel, Arthur filled them in on Agravaine’s betrayal and Merlins wound. They made a plan, if you could call it that. They planned to sneak around the hut and see who is inside, and then Arthur was going to go in and get Merlin, with the other knights as a surprise backup, if Morgana was there, as guards if she wasn’t.  That was as much as they could do before they were at the hovel.

Arthur and the knights quietly surrounded the hovel the best they could, Arthur right outside the door with Gwaine at the window Arthur had used before. Voices from inside stopped them from going any further.

“You know, there's one thing I don't understand, Merlin,” Morgana says softly as she cleans Merlins mace wound. “ You're Arthur's servant, nothing more. Yet, time and again, you've proved yourself willing to lay down your life for him.”

“What are you doing?” 

“Have you never seen Gaius clean a wound before?”

“Alright, I know what you're doing.” Merlin’s soft voice cracked with pain when he continued, “What I don't know is why.”

Morgana grabs Merlin's face roughly “I believe I asked you a question first. Why are you so loyal to Arthur?”

“I don't expect you to understand, Morgana. You have no sense of duty, no sense of loyalty.”

“You're wrong. Don't think I don't understand loyalty just because I've got no one left to be loyal to.”

Morgana places her hand over Merlin’s wound starting to speak the words of the old religion. “NO!” Arthur screams as he runs into the hovel, he didn’t know what magic Morgana had been about to perform but he knew it could be nothing good.

At his scream, Morgana turned around eyes wide in shock. She quickly recovers and throws Arthur into the wall.

“Well hello, there dear brother. I knew you couldn’t help but try to be the hero, but all by your lonesome?” Morgana cocks her head inquisitively looking around. “Where are your band of merry little men?” She raises her hand, preparing to cast a fireball when she gets knocked into from behind.

“Leave him alone!” Merlin yelled from above her, having escaped from his chains and bodily threw himself into her.

“Merlin!” Arthur yelled getting up off the floor where he landed and running over to his manservant, sword drawn.

“F _orþ fleoge_ ” Morgana screams, once again throwing Arthur into the wall, this time with Merlin landing on top of him. Merlin grunts painfully, feeling his broken ribs shift and suddenly unable to take a deep breath. He knew his time was limited, knew that his lack of breath meant his rib finally punctured his lung.

“I blame myself for what you have become Morgana, and I am sorry, but I cannot let you hurt Arthur or Camelot anymore.”

“Oh, and what do you plan to do _Mer_ lin? Bleed on me?”

Arthur hissed at Merlin “What are you doing you, idiot?”

Merlin ignored Arthur, focusing all his remaining energy on Morgana, remembering how he had called forth lightning to defeat Nimueh, remembering how he felt, the anger, the sadness, and pushed it all towards Morgana. Instead of lightning this time though, a pure golden light flew from his hand towards her, a sound akin to a dragons growling could be heard throughout the hovel. 

As the light hit Morgana, she whimpers softly before crumpling to the ground, a soft smile on her face as her breathing slows. She makes eye contact with Merlin and gently whispers “thank you” before taking her final breath. In those final moments, she had returned to the caring girl she once was before bitterness and hatred took over.

“What the hell?!?!” Arthur screams looking over to where Merlin stands, a faint tremor going through his manservant's body. Merlin slowly turned and looked at Arthur, resignation on his face.

“I’m sorry Arthur. I have only ever used it for you and Camelot” Merlin takes one step towards where Arthur lay, or least attempts to before crashing to the ground, his strength gone. Arthur pales before running to where Merlin fell, gently picking Merlins top half off the floor.

“Merlin, how? why? Why did you learn magic? I don’t understand?”

“Didn’t learn it, was born with it” Merlin says shakily, his breathing becoming labored, a high pitch whistling with each breath.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to make you choose. Didn’t.. didn't wanna leave you. Had to protect you.”

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way. I wish you would have trusted me”

Merlin shudders trying to take a deep breath “I do trust you…I didn’t want to put you in that posit-“ Merlin stops, coughing fit taking over, blood splattering Arthur's face and dripping out of the corner of Merlin's mouth.

Arthur's eyes widened, remembering the mace wound from before. “We need to get you to Gaius. Now. We can finish this conversation when you are healed.” He starts to get up but stops when Merlin grabs the collar of his shirt, looking down and seeing Merlins pale face shaking his head no.

“It’s too late Arthur.”

“I refuse to believe that! We aren’t far from Camelot I just need you to hold on until we-“

“No, I need to say something before”

“You’re not going to say goodbye”

A small sad smile appears on Merlin’s face 

“No…. I just want…you to know..” It was getting harder to breathe, but Merlin just focuses on Arthur’s face, he has to say it before it was too late. Make sure Arthur knows how he feels, that it wasn’t just destiny.

“I’m... sorry…I love you” he manages to say before another coughing fit hits, longer-lasting than before. Merlin feels like he cannot breathe at all now, gasping between coughs. He looks one more time at Arthur's face, trying to convey all he felt for his king, trying to hold on for as long as possible.

Arthur looks down at Merlin, eyes wide in shock and panic. He sees the light behind Merlin’s eyes growing dim, and leans down to kiss his chapped lips before it’s too late. As he pulls his head back he sees Merlin's eyes roll up into his head and feels as his body convulses, unable to get enough air. 

“Merlin” Arthur whispers tenderly holding on to Merlins shaking body “please….don’t go” tears stream down Arthur's face, and a shaky hand caresses Merlins cheek. "I'm sorry, I love you. please, just stay with me. I'll do anything, give anything. just hold on..."

**Author's Note:**

> well... umm.. this actually isn't the end but the happy ending is fighting me and it was good enough to leave here until I can finish the happy part. if yall are interested anyway. Let me know! (will probably write it anyway because it won't leave me alone but if yall aren't interested I won't post it.. just send it to my friend who read the ending and cried lol)


End file.
